


Stepford Husband

by icoeurus



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, i'm pretty sure that every guy in this fic was an asshole at some point, oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-24 21:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1617815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icoeurus/pseuds/icoeurus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stepford wives AU. Ryan and Gavin move to Stepford with hopes of a new start, but are unaware of the town’s secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stepford Husband

Moving to Stepford was supposed to be a new start for them and in a way, it was.

Unlike their old neighborhood – where kids screamed up and down the streets – it was unusually quiet. It looked like something out of a movie; the gardens were tended and the grass was green. The houses were kept in perfect conditions with no chipping paint or dusty windows.

It was like the area had their own little clean-up crew.

Ryan pulled up into their new driveway and Gavin eagerly hopped out of the truck and bounded into the house, leaving Ryan to the bags. He sighed, pulling out two suitcases from the back and followed his lover into the house.

“Thanks for the help,” Ryan grumbled and Gavin came out of the kitchen grinning, taking the smaller suitcase from Ryan's hand. He pecked Ryan's cheek in reply before taking the suitcase upstairs to their new room and Ryan couldn't help but smile when he explored the house.

It was large, with two rooms upstairs and a living room that could double as a home cinema because _wow it was big_. The house was still devote of any furniture, so when Gavin almost tripped coming down the stairs, the noise echoed around the house. Ryan found him at the base of the stairs, laughing at himself and he smirked, helping him up.

“We haven't been here ten minutes and you're already injuring yourself.” Ryan commented, doing a once-over on Gavin for any injuries.

“M'fine, Ry. Now come on, we have to go unpack.”

* * *

“Hi, welcome to Walter's Furniture, where everything is location made for the best quality. Do you need any assistance?” The woman – Rebecca by her name tag – greeted as they walked in through the doors. The warehouse smelt of wood and leather and Gavin eyes couldn't keep still as they darted around the building, looking at the couches then the beds and dressers and lamps. Ryan laughed at him before turning back to the employee.

“No, we're good, thank you.” He responded. Her smile didn't falter as her hands kept behind her back respectfully.

“If you need any help, feel free to ask one of the employees.” They vaguely hear her say as they went to look at the beds.

“She was nice,” Gavin said, skimming his fingers over dark blue sheets. His eyes looked around them at the wide selection of furniture for a small town like Stepford. He tilted his head in confusion. “This town is puny; how could they make all of these things?” Ryan shrugged, indifferent.

“It's part of her job.” he said, sitting on the edge of a bed. “And there was a factory just on the edge of town; have no idea where they'd get the supplies, though.” He bounced a bit on the bed. It was comfortable, with a dark brown headboard and golden accents. “This one's nice.”

Gavin took a seat beside Ryan, scooting up until he was laying on the bed, calves dangling off the side. “It is.” He agreed, looking up at Ryan who took his hand, intertwining their fingers.

The rest of the furniture shopping didn't go as smoothly, with Gavin wanting a leather couch while Ryan favoured a comfy brown one (they went with leather, since Ryan chose the bed), Gavin tripping over a leg of a nightstand and Ryan barely catching him before he fell (“I fell for you, Ryan.” “Shut up.”) and Gavin jokingly wanting a gnome (“...No.” “But-” “ _Gavin._ ”).

“Alright, so follow me and we can talk about delivery and payment.” The employee said, turning on her heel. Gavin pulled Ryan along, who rubbed his eyes tiredly. It'd been a long day, and there was no way he would be up to do anything more than lay on the floor.

“Okay, so sign here,” Ryan lazily picked up the pen, doing as he was told. “Alright, we can deliver your things later today, is that okay?” They nodded and soon after they were back in the truck, Ryan wishing that Gavin learned how to drive so that he could get the smallest amount of rest. He instinctively placed his hand over Gavin's and smiled.

* * *

 The next day, while Gavin set up their entertainment system, Ryan went out shopping to fill their fridge because while eating out every night appealed to Gavin, there was no way that Ryan was going to eat everything on every menu within the span of a couple of months.

He strolled through the aisles aimlessly, getting the necessities like eggs and milk when he saw it.

It didn't seem like much, just a normal husband and wife out shopping together at first glance but when he brushed by them to grab some fruit he noticed how she waited quietly, pausing while he was making a decision.

“I think we should get granny smith, so you can make that delicious apple pie for me and the guys tonight, yeah?” She moved without second thought, grabbing just enough apples for the pie. “Oh, and I'm thinking martinis instead of just beer tonight so you're going to need some limes.”

 _You're_. The word rang in Ryan's mind. He looked around him, wondering if anyone else was finding this strange but they seemed to brush it off, as if it was normal.

“Martinis sound great, dear.” The woman agreed, as if the phrase was programmed into her brain. She smiled warmly at her husband, who rubbed his chin in thought.

“Actually, I think they'd prefer your lemon drink instead.”

“You're right,” the woman agreed, a bit too fast for Ryan's liking. “Let's go get lemons, then.”

Then they were off to find the lemons, leaving Ryan to wonder whether or not it was just him or a kink thing.

* * *

On another note, Gavin's afternoon had been going smoothly – for the most part.

He set up the TV and consoles with ease and settled on their new couch eating some leftover pizza from last night. He absentmindedly played a Blue-ray, barely paying attention when the doorbell rang.

He padded to the door, ready to ask Ryan how he _already_ forgot his keys when he found out that it was not, in fact, his husband, but instead a woman holding something that smelt delicious.

“Hi, you just moved in right? My name's Barbara, I live down the street.” She introduced and Gavin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Oh, uh, hi. I'm Gavin.” She held out the dish to him and Gavin took it from her hands. “Would you like to come in...?”

Barbara followed him into the house, taking a seat at their dining table when Gavin offered.

“So, uh, when did you move into Stepford?” Gavin asked, setting a cup of tea in front of Barbara. She thanked him gratefully, holding it gently but didn't take a sip, despite it already cooled down.

“Oh, my husband and I moved in a couple of months ago. I was skeptical at first but I really love it here.” She answered and her permanent smile was honestly making Gavin feel uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, mind racing over what to do next when she asked,

“What about you? Why'd you move to Stepford?” Gavin sipped his tea, biting his lip.

“Uh, my husband, Ryan, and I,” he waited for a flinch, or a change in expression. It never came. “We wanted a new start and since this place was highly spoken of by some of his friends we moved in. It seemed odd here though, don't you think?”

Barbara tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“It's just,” Gavin struggled to put the thought into words. “Everything's so well taken care of here; I don't think I've seen a single blade of yellow grass.” He laughed and Barbara 'mm'ed in response.

“Yeah, me and the girls take good care of the neighbourhood.” She agreed and Gavin looked at her, eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, we work hard to keep everything in tip-top condition here. It takes up most of our day, actually.”

This didn't help Gavin's confusion. “What about hobbies like shopping, or something?”

Barbara pondered the thought for a moment, smiled faltering the tiniest bit. “Dunno. Guess we aren't into that kind of stuff.” She noticed the look on Gavin's face but waved him off. “We're perfectly happy tending to the housework; it's quite nice actually.”

“Yeah, okay,” Gavin said hesitantly. He thought Barbara would be interested in an office job or going out and meeting people – not _housework_. Also, it wasn't just her, because apparently a lot of the wives devoted themselves to the home, which made Gavin's hair stand up on end. “Well, it was good meeting you Barbara. I, uh, have some things to do, so, see you around when you aren't... busy.”

She nodded, standing up to shake his hand. “It was nice meeting you too, Gavin.”

And she left, without touching her tea.

* * *

“I think I befriended a robot,” Gavin admitted over dinner, after Ryan told his story of what happened in the supermarket. Ryan raised an eyebrow, silently asking what happened. “Her name's Barbara and she brought a casserole as a sort of welcoming gift and she said that the all women here do the housework.”

“Um, Gavin?” Ryan said. “I think-”

“No, no, no, you don't understand.” Gavin interrupted, jabbing his fork at Ryan. “That's _all_ they do.”

“Hmm,” Ryan thought about it around his forkful of pasta. “I doubt they're robots, Gavin. Maybe they all just really like housework?”

Gavin shrugged in response, and Ryan changed the subject.

* * *

“Nice to meet you, Ryan. I'm Geoff.” They shook hands as they introduced themselves. Ryan was at his new job in IT and it felt good to be back in an office environment. He turned on his computer and started his work.

Lunch rolled around fast and Ryan stretched his limbs immediately when the clock struck twelve. Geoff swivelled around in his chair to face him. “Hey, me and some of the other guys are getting lunch; wanna come with?”

And Ryan shrugs and goes with them because why not and soon he finds himself in a local diner, crowded into a booth with three other guys, including Geoff.

He learned their names fast; Ray and Michael. Both wear glasses and all three of them play video games. He can't help but think about how much Gavin will like them.

But then _the_ topic comes up again. When Geoff and Michael are babbling on about their wives and Ray generally looks disinterested in the conversation, Ryan asked,

“What do they do?” Pause. They look at Ryan questionably. “Your wives, what do they do?”

“Housework, mostly.” Geoff answered and _holy shit_ , Gavin was right. Ryan blinked. Once, twice; taking in the information.

“They don't have jobs? At all?” Michael shook his head, looking at Ryan as if it was obvious.

“No, why?”

“It's... nothing.” Ryan said, brushing off the topic. “Anyway, what were you saying about the new consoles?”

* * *

After work, Geoff approaches him in the parking lot with his hands in his pockets and he immediately puts his guard up because something isn't right in this town.

“Hey, Ryan, so me and a couple of other guys wanna know if you'll join our club.” It takes a moment for Ryan to realize that Geoff said _club_ not _cult_ and he narrowed his eyes.

“What, like high school?” Geoff let out a bark of laughter at that and Ryan laughed along nervously.

“Nah, it's more like drink beer and play video games.” Geoff explained. “So, you in?”

Ryan accepted.

* * *

Gavin hummed contently as he opened his laptop, doing some extra work while he waited for Ryan to come home. He worked for a film company and edited the film into something presentable. Currently it was a short film about memory, but the plot was lost to him.

He heard the door open and close and was already halfway to it when Ryan called, “I'm home!”

“Hey, Ry!” Gavin pecked his lips in greeting before returning to the living room. Ryan padded after him, taking a seat next to him and absentmindedly looping an arm around his shoulders. He turned on the TV and his attention shifted from the TV, to Gavin's laptop, then to Gavin himself and back again.

“I met some of my co-workers today.” Ryan said. Gavin looked up from his work, raising his eyebrows. “I'm heading to one of their houses tonight, if that's okay?”

Gavin furrowed his eyebrows. “Since when did you need my permission? I'm heading out anyway; someone from work said the local pub here is great so I wanna check it out. Drink lots of beer for me though, yeah?”

Ryan smirked. “Will do.”

* * *

Geoff's house is large, larger than Ryan's and built with stone and like all the other houses, was completely spotless.

Geoff greeted him at the door, leading him into the living room where Michael and three others were.

“Ray isn't coming?” Ryan figured that the lad would hone in as soon as video games were mentioned.

“Nah, he doesn't drink and I'm pretty sure being in a room full of drunk guys would've killed him.” Geoff explained handing him a beer and a controller. “Now c'mon, we're completing the campaign of Left 4 Dead.”

* * *

Gavin entered the pub, taking a seat at the counter.

“What'd you like?” The bartender asked, cleaning a glass. Gavin did a quick once over of the menu and ordered beer and a burger. “New in town? I haven't seen you here before.”

“Yeah, moved in a week ago.” Gavin took the beer from Ray, smiling. “I'm Gavin.”

“Ray,” They shook hands over the counter. “What brings you to Stepford?”

“Got married and wanted a new start, y'know?” Gavin shrugged. “It's been nice so far, but between you and me, some of the locals seem a bit... off.”

Ray nodded hesitantly, looking around them at the other patrons; all of whom were male. “Say, by any chance, do you know Ryan?”

Gavin raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, he's, uh, my husband. Why?”

Ray's smirk fell and something that looked concern cloaked his face. Gavin looked at him quizzically and opened his mouth to ask something when someone sat at the other end of the counter. Ray hurried to tend to him, fingers tapping nervously against against his leg.

* * *

The next few weeks go by relatively fine. Gavin met Ryan's co-workers and made quick friends with Michael and Ray, but their wives were as expected; obedient and hard-working, which was a shame, because Lindsay and Griffon seemed like the kind of people Gavin'd get absolutely crushed by in video games but have a grand time nonetheless.

But Gavin barely saw Ryan anymore. He was constantly out with Geoff and the others and by the time he got back Gavin would already be half-asleep in their bed and would barely feel the bed sink in when Ryan came to bed.

One night, while Gavin was working late at home, fuelled purely by the power of Redbulls and beer, he stared at the silver band on his left hand, twisting it around his finger. It was etched delicately with a vine and he smiled sadly at it, remembering the moment when they were in the park, when Ryan got down on one knee and purposed with said ring and Ryan's comment about how it was one of the only times he's ever seen Gavin cry.

His eyes glazed over at the memory and he bit his lip, rubbing his face tiredly. _What happened?_ He asked himself, closing his laptop. He picked up his empty cans and beer bottles off the floor and stumbled into the kitchen, putting them where they needed to be. He's halfway to the stairwell when he heard the door open and the quiet voices of Geoff and Ryan. His face scrunched with disgust and wanting nothing to do with them, continued his way upstairs when Geoff called out,

“A little help? Your husband's heavy, dude.” Gavin huffed and reluctantly made his way downstairs where a slightly tipsy Geoff supported a rather drunk Ryan. The sight made him wonder how many times, when Gavin felt the bed crease inwards because of Ryan, someone else was in the room, helping Ryan because it was _fucking late-ass o'clock_ and Gavin hit the hay so he would be able to function the morning afterwards.

“Yeah, I'm coming.” He briefly glanced at the clock, _12:47_ , before taking Ryan from Geoff; almost falling over from how dependent Ryan was on him to stand up. “I can take it from here, thanks.”

Geoff looked hesitant to leave, but with the dark look Gavin was giving him he wasn't going to protest. He raised his hands in a form of surrender before leaving, door slamming behind him.

“Jeez, Ryan, how much have you had to drink?” He got a mumble in reply and he huffed angrily, leading him to the couch because there was no way he'd be able to get Ryan up two flights of stairs. He quickly cleared it of his laptop and papers and laid Ryan down on it. “Hey, Ry, cut back a little next time, yeah?”

He pecked Ryan's forehead and ignored the way Ryan smelt like a bar. He took comfort knowing that this was always a once-a-century thing for Ryan and turned around to get a pillow and blanket for him when he Ryan mumble something under his breath.

“What was that?” Gavin turned around curiously, eyebrows raised.

“Don't tell me what to do, I can handle myself.” Ryan said through half-lidded eyes. Anger flared in Gavin and he tensed up, taking a deep breath.

“You're drunk,” he muttered, trying to reassure himself. “In the morning you'll wake up with the largest hangover of your life and you'll complain about it we'll laugh about how stupid you are.”

“More like how stupid _you_ are.” Ryan's laugh was muffled into the couch. He didn't see Gavin's flinch because that is the _one_ gray area of Gavin's personality and Ryan has managed to joke about and not make him feel bad but this was certainly not how. But he didn't feel bad right now, no, he was _mad._ He was mad at the fact that Ryan practically ignored him for the last couple of weeks and mad at the fact that Ryan didn't seem to have a problem with it and was now disregarding all of Gavin's walls and he was _mad_.

His eyes glossed over again, but this time Ryan saw. He saw liquid threaten to spill over Gavin's eyes and momentarily he seemed to sober up, to come back to his conscious but it was too late because Gavin stormed upstairs without another word and the sound of their bedroom door slamming echoed around the house.

* * *

Gavin wakes up at nine and instantly wished it wasn't the weekend so he wouldn't have to deal with Ryan.

So he doesn't.

When he comes downstairs, Ryan's still passed out on the couch. He doesn't spare him a second glance before he grabbed his keys and wallet and headed out the door.

* * *

Ryan wakes up an hour before noon and his head pounds.

His smelt horrible and he looked around the coffee table for the pills and water that Gavin would leave out for him whenever he got this drunk but they weren't there. He frowned, staggering to get up and into the bathroom.

He dosed his face with cold water and regretted looking in the mirror because get this, not only did he _smell_ like shit – he looked like it too. His hair was dishevelled and his eyes were sunken in which surprised him because he was sure he got more than enough sleep last night.

He went into the kitchen and pout the coffee the coffee maker before calling out Gavin's name. Nothing. “Gavin?”

He went upstairs into their bedroom where their bed was hastily made and _empty_ . “Gavin?” He searched the guest bedroom, the master bathroom, the _other_ bathroom and even the basement where they stored some of their things. Na-da.

Ryan dialled his number on his cell but it immediately went to voice-mail and he turned his phone off, frustrated. So instead, he opened his laptop and started to work.

* * *

It wasn't even noon and Gavin was already at the pub after taking a walk in every street that wasn't his own. Ray isn't in on weekdays, so instead of sitting at the counter like he usually would, he took a table near the back, sulking to himself.

“Can I get you anything?” The waitress asked, notepad ready.

“Just some ice water would be good, thanks.” Then she was off to get the drink while his phone vibrated in his pocket. No doubt it was Ryan, but he wasn't willing to talk to him at the moment.

“Here you go,” he smiled halfheartedly at the waitress, thanking her as he simply rested the rim of the glass against his lip. He ordered the first thing he saw on the menu and tapped his fingers on the table impatiently. His ring glistened underneath the overhanging light, mocking him about it's only been a couple of months into their marriage and they're already falling out.

Gavin's heart clenched at that and he was glad that the pub was nearly empty because of how close to crying he was again. The bartender looked at him quizzically but shrugged it off as just relationship problems.

Boy, was he right.

* * *

“I don't know, I mean, I wonder what I said last night that got him to get up earlier than ten on a _Saturday_.” Ryan confessed to Geoff as they sat on opposite sides of the couch, only half paying attention to the co-op game they were playing.

“You were pretty hammered last night.” Geoff said. “My offer still stands, by the way.”

The air got tense and Ryan's throat clenched. How could he forget?

A week after accepting the invitation to the club, Geoff said that if he had any relationship issues, that he could come talk to him because that happens to the best of them and that he knew how to handle it. It was a weird thought at the time and Ryan brushed it off as him just being a good friend until he brought it up again, when everyone else had already left and they were just lounging on the couch while Griffon insisted on cleaning up and doing the dishes.

“Hey, is everything okay between you and Gav?” At this point, he'd already met the lad and thought that he was hilarious yet extremely clumsy. It only furthered his point when Gavin almost tripped and dropped the beers he was getting from the fridge. “I mean, you're spending an awful amount of time over here.”

Ryan had thought it over but shrugged. “Everything's fine, I mean-”

“Because I can help if you want.” Ryan was quick to shake his head, waving the idea off.

“No, we're fine, our marriage is still stable.” He laughed, but even when he said it it left an odd aftertaste in his mouth. “I might get back to you on it though.” And he waggled his eyebrows jokingly because he never thought he'd consider it.

Until now.

Ryan shook his head. “No, I should at least try before getting marriage therapy from _you_ , of all people.” And he laughed, failing to notice the nervous tone in Geoff's voice.

* * *

When Ryan comes home nearing six o'clock, he found Gavin laying comfortably on the couch with his laptop. The latter barely looked from the screen and tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

“Well, hello to you too.” He sat near Gavin's feet and stared at his hands, wondering what to say. “Gavin,”

Gavin tensed slightly but Ryan noticed it and guilt weighed down his heart. Gavin avoided looking at him at all costs because he used that tone of voice he only used when he was either a) exasperated or b) frustrated and Gavin was not ready to deal with either of those things.

“Look, whatever I said last night – I'm sorry. I had too much to drink and...” Gavin almost laughed while Ryan struggled to find the right words. He was astonished at how Ryan thought that _that_ was the problem and not the fact that Geoff and the others probably spent more time with his husband than he did.

He pushed the laptop off of him, sitting up. “Save it.”

Ryan's eyes didn't widen at how hostile Gavin sounded, because he's heard the tone before and while those times were never pretty, Gavin sounded _tired._ And not, I've-stayed-up-all-night-working tired – no. It sounded like this was a problem he's been working at for forever but couldn't solve and was ultimately _giving up._

“I – what?”

This time, Gavin did laugh. It was bitter, through clenched teeth and made Ryan's break simultaneously with his temper rising.

“ _How is that the problem_?” Gavin cried out, hands balling into fists. “How can you think that?”

“Then what is it?” Ryan jumped from his spot on the couch, eyebrows furrowed. Then Gavin did his bitter laugh again which made Ryan's hair stand up on end because _this wasn't Gavin laugh_ and he's never seen Gavin so committed to an argument. This was bad. “I'm sorry, Gavin. I truly am but _how can I fix the problem if I don't know what it is_!”

“All of last month – that's what it is! When was the last time we ate dinner together or had a conversation that wasn't good morning and even _that_ got less frequent because of how much time you spend with _them_!” Gavin's filters were off. He was spouting all of his thoughts for Ryan to hear and they was no stopping him.

“Is that what this is about? My _social life_?” Ryan asked incredulously.

“Well, _apparently_ , your social life doesn't include your own husband!” Gavin shot back and his eyes were blurring and goddammit he isn't drunk enough for this and Gavin can't help but think about how much he wanted to hide. Ryan opened his mouth to deny it but Gavin was quicker. “Ever since we moved here you've spent more time with them than you have with me!”

“So what? We're arguing because of your jealously clouded judgment? How narcissistic can you _be_ ?” Wait. No. Shit. Ryan didn't mean to say that. It took one look into Gavin's eyes, _one_ , to see that he broke into territory that he knew that he shouldn't touch and his posture softened, hand reaching out. “No, wait, Gavin-”

Gavin didn't wait for his apology and turning on his heel and ran up the stairs. A door slammed but Ryan was frozen in place because he fucked up and how the hell was he going to make up for this.

After a long, internal debate about what he should do, he went upstairs to see that their bedroom door was still open and that it was the guest bedroom with the sliver of light underneath. He silently padded to the door, holding his hand up to knock when he heard a faint sound from behind the door.

Crying.

He had made Gavin cry and the only time he's ever done that was when he purposed but he was okay with that. Not this. He was hearing his husband cry because of him in the guest bedroom of the house they bought a couple of months ago and _goddammit he was a horrible person._

He figured Gavin wouldn't want to see him so he went into their bedroom (if he could still call it that) and sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes. He messed up. He messed up for a _month_ and he didn't realize it and he needed help. So he picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number.

“Hey, Geoff? …I need your help.”

* * *

 

On Geoff's request, he went to stay with Michael and Lindsay, who offered him hospitality for as long as he liked. For the entire week he spent there, his mind was constantly racing over what he'd say to Gavin when he saw him again because he knew that 'I'm sorry.' wouldn't suffice – help or not.

On Saturday, when the day was over and Ryan had retired into his room, his phone rang on the nightstand and it didn't even get to finish its first ring when Ryan picked up.

“Geoff? Is everything okay? Is-”

“Whoa, calm down, Ryan.” Geoff assured him. “Everything's fine. You can come home now; I'm done cleaning up your mess.”

Warmth spread through Ryan's body and a grin covered his face.

“I'm on my way.”

* * *

Geoff stepped out of the house with his sleeves rolled up and graciously accepted the hug Ryan gave him.

“Thanks, man, I really appreciate it.” Ryan said and Geoff smirked.

“No problem, although I expect a bottle of liquor with a bow on it on my doorstep soon.”

“You bet on it.”

When he opened the door, he wasn't greeted with a hug or messy apologies like he expected. Instead the smell of something heavenly wafted through the house and drew Ryan to the kitchen where he found Gavin leaning over a pan, stirring something while absentmindedly scrolling on his phone. Ryan froze on the spot, the multiply apologies he came up with disappearing.

Gavin put down the wooden spoon, turning around to grab something from the opposite cupboard when he saw Ryan. There wasn't a flinch or tension from him. In fact, he smiled, one of the largest grins Ryan has ever seen him wore and slipped his phone back into his pocket to wrap his arms around Ryan.

“I don't, I – I'm sorry, Gavin. I -” Gavin laughed at him, turning around to turn the heat of the stove down. Ryan raised an eyebrow.

“When did you learn how to cook?” He teased. Gavin shrugged, tasting the food. He hummed contently, pulling out a plate from the shelf (Ryan wondered when they'd gotten so organized) and plated the food, setting it on the counter.

“Are you just going to stand there? Sit down, Ryan!” Gavin ordered and ushered Ryan out of the kitchen, who let himself be pushed, too busy being shocked to protest.

“I – _what?_ ” He sat at the dining table for a full minute, staring at the wall before looking over his shoulder to see Gavin smirking as he took something else off of the stove.

Geoff gave him a hell of a talking.

* * *

The next few days are only weirder.

Ryan found out that apparently yes, Gavin can cook. Gavin can cook _very_ well.

It wasn't even a gradual thing where Gavin learned how recipes worked and the difference between a rounded tablespoon and a heap full. It was as if a flip switched and then suddenly he was a master chef, knowing what knife to use and how to cut food so that its flavour was at its fullest.

Ryan walked in through the door, closing it behind him as he took off his shoes. Gavin came to greet him, kissing him on the cheek.

“How was work?” Ryan hadn't questioned Gavin's decision to work at home, since he was just an editor, but he wasn't spared the disbelieving look when he said it was because he didn't like his coworkers. Ryan had met them once before and at the time, Gavin introduced them so enthusiastically.

“Fine; people are assholes, though.” He grumbled.

“Do you want something to drink?” Gavin asked, walking back into the kitchen. Ryan opened his mouth to answer but caught himself, furrowing his eyebrows as he stalked into the dining room, leaning against the table to look into the kitchen, where Gavin was sorting through their spice rack ( _when did they get that?,_ Ryan thought).

“Do you feel okay, Gavin? You're being-”

“I'm fine, Ryan.” Gavin reassured, handing him glass of water. He sipped at it absently, opening his laptop.

“Hey, the guys are coming over tonight, if that's okay?” Gavin nodded vigorously.

“It'd be nice to have them over. I haven't seen them in a while,” he laughed, shelving bowls. Confusion showed on Ryan's face.

“Didn't you talk to Geoff a couple of days ago...?” Gavin blinked before nodding again, laughing.

“I must've forgot. How silly of me,” he laughed at himself and Ryan fell off of the edge he was on. Something was wrong. Something was _extremely_ wrong. “I'm going to buy some groceries, Ryan. Do you want anything?”

After a short period where Ryan was too shocked to respond, Gavin shrugged and kissed him on the top of his head so unusually sweet. “Okay, then. See you in an hour!”

He hummed as he left the house, leaving Ryan in his stone-like state.

Ryan tried to distract himself after that, whether it was with work or pacing, he was content as long as it got his mind off of his husband. Yet he felt an odd familiarity with the behaviour and he racked his mind to figure out why. He was lounging in the living room when Gavin came back, arms full of crinkling plastic bags and Ryan immediately got up to help him.

“Here, lemme-” Ryan reached out for a couple of them when Gavin shook his head, brushing past him.

“No, it's okay. I got it,” he smiled reassuringly at Ryan from over his shoulder as he set the bags on the counter.

“At least let me help unpack.” Ryan insisted but Gavin pushed him out of the kitchen, back onto the couch.

“No, no, no, you sit down and rest. The guys will be here anytime soon and I need to get some things ready.” He left Ryan with a peck on his cheek and retreated back into the kitchen, unloading packs of beer and ingredients for appetizers.

The doorbell rang before he could question it and he reluctantly answered it, the thought of cancelling his plans with his friends lingering at the back of his mind.

“Hey, ” he opened the door a little wider and Michael, Ray and Geoff came in; easily finding their way to the living room where the console was already set up.

“Hi, guys!” Gavin greeted cheerfully as he held four bottles of beer. “Want a drink?”

They agreed and thanked him when he opened them so casually with a bottle opener.

“Hey, do you mind getting me a coaster?” Geoff asked and Ryan's eyes narrowed at how he bossed Gavin around but Gavin was already bounding back into the kitchen with a 'no problem' and had the coaster set on the coffee table before Ryan could say anything.

Then it clicked.

He'd seen this behaviour before. When he went to Michael's house during his absence and Geoff's during game night. In the supermarket with the couple.

Gavin was acting like the wives of Stepford.

His entire world almost came crashing down right then and there when he came to the realization. What about his job? His friends? Hobbies? _Personality_? Was there anything of Gavin left?

While he was going through his internal crisis, his hands froze around the controller and his character died soon afterwards. The other three didn't notice anything as they held down whatever objective they had and Geoff rushed to revive him.

“Alright, asshole, get up.” Ryan's hands barely moved and the lump in his throat made it impossible to voice his thoughts.

“I'm going to get something,” Ryan announced, hastily getting up. He took Geoff up with him and despite the man's protests dragged him to the kitchen with him. Gavin stared at them, wide-eyed and so very _not Gavin_ and Ryan regards him with nothing but concern.

“Uh, Gavin, Geoff and I need to talk about something,” Ryan said, words awkward and bitter in his mouth. “Could you-”

Gavin was out in no time, agreeing without a second thought and closed the kitchen sliding door behind him to ensure as much privacy as possible. It made Ryan cringe.

“What did you do the him,” Ryan hissed, grip on Geoff's arm tightening. The tattooed man twisted his arm out of Ryan's grip, raising his hands in defence. He took a couple of steps back and Ryan resisted himself from following.

“Whoa, relax, all I did was talk to him.” Geoff swore but to Ryan the sentence made him want to scream his disbelief. He grit out the word ' _liar_ ', careful not to say anything too bad. He instead spun around on his heel, stalking back into the living room with Geoff on his heels.

“Everything alright?” Ray asked, unpausing the game. It took everything in Ryan to nod and Geoff was quick to agree. Gavin was quick to return to the kitchen, continuing on the dish he was preparing for them.

* * *

As soon as they leave, a numbing feeling takes over Ryan as he stumbled to the couch. A controller laid near the wall, broken from how hard he threw it against the wall. Gavin emerged from the kitchen soon afterwards, concern lining his features. He took a seat beside Ryan, resting his hand over his.

“Ryan? Is everything okay?” And then he _breaks_ because he can't figure out how to say he's sorry, because it's his fault Gavin was like this and tears stream messily down his face and his hand shakes as he wipes them away. “Ryan why are you crying?”

Gavin pleaded with him and Ryan doesn't know what to do because he can't begin to understand how to fix the mess he made. Gavin's rubbing his back in an attempt to reassure him but it does nothing to help Ryan's state.

“I'm sorry,” he managed, turning to Gavin. “I'm _so_ sorry I did this to you.”

And then Gavin tilted his head since he didn't know what Ryan was talking about and the older man tugged on his hair.

“I – I'm sorry, Ry, but I don't understand. You didn't do anything.” Gavin said and Ryan grabs him, cried into his shoulder because what else could he do? His head spun as Gavin's hands ran up and down his back, hands as gentle as moth wings.

It lulled Ryan to sleep and soon he was dozing on the couch, blanket laid gingerly on him.

* * *

When he woke up in the morning, breakfast was on the table with a sticky note that Ryan threw away immediately. The food was left untouched, the only thing Ryan ate/drank was a glass of water. He threw open his front door, strolling to his car with _business_ on his mind and he swore he saw one of his neighbours shy away when they saw him.

The drive to Michael's house is short and when Lindsay answered the door he pushed past her in search of her husband. Michael was in the living room, laptop open and TV playing softly in the background. He jumped when Ryan burst in and stood up, blocking his path.

“Whoa, Ryan what's wrong? It's, like, ten in the morning.” Lindsay watched them curiously from the door frame but it didn't take much for her to know that they needed privacy and left the room.

“It's about Lindsay.” Michael's eyebrows furrowed and a bead of sweat left a trail on the back of his neck.

“What about her?”

“She wasn't like this when you married her. _No one_ is like this.” Ryan glared down at Michael, who avoided his gaze at all costs. “What did you do.”

“I didn't do-”

“Okay, then.” Ryan cut off, nails leaving crescent shaped marks in his palms. “What did _Geoff_ do?”

This got Michael's attention and his head snapped up, face pale. Ryan huffed impatiently, jaw clenching painfully.

“Let's sit down, Ryan.”

* * *

 A week before Ryan moved in, Geoff propositioned Michael after a particularly bad fight with his wife of a year. Hateful comments were thrown from both sides and it wasn't long until he stormed out, fleeing to Geoff's house where he downed a bottle of whiskey.

Geoff gave him an offer; he could help. According to Michael, everything else was a blur and when he woke up in the morning, Lindsay was just... _different._ She no longer kicked ass at video games – if she still had the interest. Her snarky remarks disappeared and Michael tried his best to fix her, to get her back the way she was.

Nothing worked.

He'd confronted Geoff several times, asking, _begging_ him to fix Lindsay. Every time, all he got in response was a shrug and pitying look. This made Michael mad on end and it was only during the times he was out with Ray when he could let it go for the couple of hours they were together.

Michael explained this all to Ryan who listened intensively, guilt pooling in his heart for his rudeness.

“But to be honest,” Michael said, finishing the story off. “I'm quite sure we're the only two who _didn't_ want this to happen.”

This made Ryan freeze, stomach churning at the thought of the other husbands willingly letting Geoff turn their wives into mindless drones. “Oh,” Ryan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Now it was him who avoided Michael's gaze as he pondered the information. His mind came to cruel realizations. What if Gavin _couldn't_ get turned back? What if he would always be stuck in this mindset of submission and obedience and Ryan's heart ached to think about it.

“Drink?” Michael offered after a silence and despite it not even being noon yet, Ryan agreed immediately.

* * *

When Ryan came back, tipsy and vision slightly blurred, Gavin handed him a glass of water at his request.

“Would you like something to eat?” Gavin asked, looking up innocently from the sink. “You didn't eat breakfast this morning.”

Ryan grunted in reply and Gavin took this as a yes, taking out a package of beef and various vegetables. He moved swiftly, cutting the pepper with such perfect movements that made Ryan's skin crawl. Unexpectedly, Gavin yelped and Ryan's head shot up just in time to watch him stare at his thumb, biting his lip. Ryan sighed, getting up and walking over to him.

“Did you seriously cut your-” Ryan froze as he held Gavin's hand. The cut was there, a small wound on the inside of the finger. But that wasn't why he froze.

It wasn't bleeding.

Despite Gavin's questions, he put pressure on it and even took up the knife and made a cut on Gavin's palm. Nothing. The air seemed to thicken around him as his breathing became uneven; he stumbled back in shock, watching him with wide eyes.

This wasn't Gavin. _Gavin_ was silly and talkative and _bled_.

“I – I have to go.” Ryan rushed out of the house, grabbing his keys on the way out. He sped out of the driveway, tires screeching on the pavement. He ignored Gavin's furrowed brows as he peeked out behind the curtains, knuckles white around the wheel. He had to find Gavin. He had to find his goddamn husband and his judgement was clouded with the idea that Gavin, _his_ Gavin was still out there somewhere.

It was only at a stop sign when he realized he had no clue where to start. Michael had no idea. Threatening Geoff would get him arrested. Ray doesn't even _have_ a wife. And then when his hope started to crash down on him his mind helpfully reminded him of one of the first days they were here, Gavin excitedly looking at all the furniture in the warehouse as he weaved through the pieces.

Ryan bit his lip, silently cursing himself. He swiftly made his turn right and continued down the road. It was less residential here, with few houses littering the side of the road. The road was oddly familiar to him and he swore he saw that tree with the markings in it before. It doesn't click in his mind until the factory smoke rises higher than the trees and he knows where to go.

He made a sharp turn to the path that lead to the building, speeding down it knowing that there wouldn't be any officers here. He pulled up by a large gate, noting the fact that it was opened recently and climbed over it with ease, landing on the ground with a _thud._

The outside of the factory was surprisingly empty, Ryan thought as he walked up to the front doors. His heart stammered in his chest with every step, a lump forming in his throat as he replayed the memories in his mind; when they were driving to their new house and first saw the factory. Then it was just an unneeded building that polluted the air. Going to buy furniture and Gavin's offhand question about them. _How could they make all of the furniture?_

The front doors were rusted and old and it didn't take much to break it open. The inside smelt heavily of mold and dust filled his nostrils. He pulled up his shirt, holding it over his mouth and nose as he explored the building.

He expected machines that constantly worked, metallic sounds echoing around the facility. Instead it was eerily quiet and the rooms were all empty, save for the couple of rats that scurried away at the sight of him. The rooms were all the same; the doors couldn't close properly and paint was chipping off the the walls. At one point, Ryan swore he could've ripped off an entire layer off of one without difficultly.

He was about to leave when he noticed it.

The door was much cleaner than the others, firmly shut and probably locked. Ryan raised his eyebrows, trying the knob. It didn't budge and suspicion immediately rose in Ryan. He rammed into the door, once, twice, before he got a result.

A faint noise emitted from the door and Ryan persisted at the sound, pounding, banging, _punching_ at the door before it finally gave in, revealing a sickening sight.

They flinched at the light, shielding their eyes with their arms. Chains rattled against the floor and Ryan lunged at the familiar face.

“ _Gavin._ ” He took the man's face in his hands, fingertips gentle as they brushed over his cheeks. Gavin's eyes were half-lidded, but twinkled at the sight of his husband. He opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a rasped noise and Ryan shushed him, pressing his lips to his lover's forehead despite the grime.

“I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Gavin, I-” Tears fall on Gavin's head and his breath becomes uneven because _he's here._ _He's here and safe and everything is going to be okay._

Gavin weakly wrapped his arms around Ryan's neck, the chains cold against his skin.

* * *

Austin is a big city,

is the first thing Gavin thought as they pulled up into the parking lot of their new complex. A couple more cars, including a moving truck, came up behind them, the others equally as excited as he was.

“Everyone who lives here is so screwed,” Ray commented as got out of the backseat of Michael car, moving to get his bags. Lindsay got out of the truck, opening the back to reveal several boxes stacked on top of each other; all neatly labelled with whose possessions was whose. Barbara rolled her suitcase with ease, biting her lip in anticipation. Her left hand was void of a ring – and she couldn't look happier.

Ryan opened the trunk, taking out two of their suitcases. Gavin joined him shortly afterwards and took the rest before trying to close the trunk with his head. Ryan laughed softly at the sight before putting one of the bags down and doing it himself, leading them to the front door.

They went in two groups up the elevator, unloading their things into their new apartments. They all lived in the same hall, with only five doors separating them all. They were cozy, one/two bedroom flats with wood floors and windows that looked out at the complex pool. Gavin stood on their third story balcony, gawking at the view when Ryan wrapped his arms around him, resting his head on his shoulder.

“C'mon, Gav. Let's go unpack.”


End file.
